Claw machine enthusiast keeps charity program

ANNE C. HEYMENFeatures Editor

Published Wednesday, February 19, 2003

"I'm addicted," says the 19-year-old St. Augustine High School senior who's turned his passion into a community service. He and his girlfriend, Ashley Cheshire, recently donated 90 stuffed animals to the Tender Care Patrol, a project of the St. Augustine Police Department coordinated by Officer Joe Bowen, the officer charged with spreading cheer throughout the community.

Josh credits his mother, Carol, with introducing him to the art of claw machines at the tender age of 9.

For the uninitiated, claw machines are those devices where, for 50 cents, you have 10 seconds to secure the stuffed toy of your dreams. Snagging the animal -- with the use of a large claw-like object -- takes a lot of skill and a whole lot of luck.

Josh's favorite machines are at Wal-Mart, and it's there that, in recent months, he collected some 150 stuffed animals for Ashley, also a SAHS senior.

It was Ashley's idea to donate the animals to Bowen's project in memory of her grandmother, Carol Usina. Mrs. Usina died in January 2002.

"We would like for someone else to share the joy of our stuffed friends," Ashley wrote to Bowen.

"I remembered while my grandmother was in the hospital so many times the last year of her life, there was a gentleman from the police department that would come around and give stuffed animals to the sick. The smile on my grandmother's face was priceless."

The Tender Care Patrol, in operation for many years, has distributed well over 17,000 "cuddly creatures," to individuals in hospitals, nursing homes and homes for the elderly, Bowen explains.

Peggy Williams, a police department volunteer, sorts and tags the donations, preparing them for distribution.

There have been times that Josh has played the claw machines as often as three times a week. He gets his money from a job at Larry's Giant Subs.

"Look for the ones on top," is Josh's advice, and friend, Ryan Robertson, adds, "don't try to go for the one you want," because apparently there's not enough time in the 10 seconds allotted.

Many times Josh and Ashley spend their dates at the Wal-Mart claw machine, but things might change next year. Both plan to attend St. Johns River Community College. Josh hopes to one day become an R.N., and Ashley is interested in becoming a radiology technician.

Donations to Bowen's project come from a variety of sources -- businesses, residents and organizations.

And, there are other claw machine junkies like Josh.

"Here," Shelton Pettit said to Bowen one recent Monday, as he handed him a stuffed animal.

When introduced to Josh, Pettit advised Josh not to try to get the cat at the Village Inn Restaurant machine.

Seems Pettit was playing that machine, and a woman asked him to try and get the cat for her.

He did.

For further information about Bowen's program, call him at 825-1074, ext. 1050.